Destined for Vengeance ✔️

Chapter 34

Jade shifted back when she reached the clearing. She stretched her arms over her head, ignoring the stares she received. Her wolf had settled down after their escapades, but Jade hadn't been able to run off her frustration that easily.

She made her way over to the mansion, plucking a few twigs out of her hair. She was naked, covered in dirt and blood, and she felt good. No fancy dresses, no cute shoes, no elaborate hairstyles. Exactly like the Goddess intended.

The mansion's front doors were already propped open and she stepped inside, stopping dead in her tracks when she came face to face with Aaron.

His jaw dropped when he saw her, and she feared that wasn't a good thing. It dawned on her exactly how dirty she was. She was also pretty sure there was still blood on her face. Her wolf didn't exactly have table manners. Or a table. Or manners.

He didn't say a word, which only added to her conviction that he was unpleasantly surprised. If he hadn't been convinced she didn't belong at court yet, this should do it. She wanted to utter an apology, or at least squeeze out his title, but all that escaped her was a little squeak. With a start, her feet remembered their purpose, and she pushed past him, racing up the stairs.

She stormed into her room and slammed the door shut, leaning against it. He had seen her – all of her. Every single bare inch. Clenching her teeth, she glanced towards the full-length mirror. O, Goddess.

Dirt covered her like a second skin, interchanged with streaks of red. Perhaps – in hindsight – she had let her wolf a little too loose. What must he think of her? He had to consider her half feral. Her wolf growled in her head and she stopped. Yes, indeed. What was wrong with them hunting? What was wrong with her letting her wolf out? She was a werewolf, after all. Her wolf needed freedom, just like his, and if he chose not to give his animal the room it needed, then that was his mistake, and he didn't get to judge her for taking care of the other half of her soul. Right. Now to keep that thought in mind when she had to face him.

She went into the bathroom, soaking a cloth and roughly dragging it across her body. How should she have known he was going to be there? She'd rather thought she would never see him again. Wait. Had he come to reject her? Had she made such a miserable first impression on his parents that he had decided to call it quits? The cloth paused, but just for a second. Then she assumed her scrubbing with more vigour. If he had come to reject her, so be it. She had done her best.

There was another mirror in the bathroom providing a close-up of her face. She grimaced. There were smudges of blood around her mouth, with a single dried-up trail leading down her chin. Charming. She washed her face and ran back into the bedroom, diving into the closet. She pulled out a dress at random and pulled it over her head. Digging deeper, she even managed to pull out a pair of shoes.

There was a knock on her door and she shot upright. Had he sent a servant upstairs to call her down? With how immaculate he always looked, he ought to understand cleaning up took time. She was going as fast as she could.

She ripped the door open. "What?" Inwardly, she cursed herself when Aaron appeared in front of her. She was not having her day, that was for sure.

"Uh." His mouth closed, brow furrowing. His guards, standing behind him in the hallway, ridiculed her in their minds, both for her coarseness, and for the fact that she'd faced the crown prince naked. They thought she'd done it on purpose, to entice him. If that had been the plan, she would've at least wiped the blood off her mouth.

"I'm so sorry, Your Highness," she said, pushing the door open further. "I didn't think it would be you. Do you want to come in?" She stepped aside to let him in. Why was the crown prince in her bedroom? Had he not looked at her so sternly, she might have found the whole thing amusing.